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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · rush · pitcher · stock · stand · leaves · track · object

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — a thing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. object — an aim
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — to protest
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — a song
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a path
  20. stock — goods
  21. ground — crushed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stock — shares
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com